A Most Dangerous Game
by exoterica
Summary: First three chapters rewritten. In which I try to answer the question, "What would it take for Robin to become Slade's willing apprentice?"
1. Prologue: Mercenary

**Prologue: Mercenary**

_August 22_

_Approx: 21:00 hours_

* * *

><p>In an old, slightly run down building located on the outskirts of Jump City, three figures stood, the first two assessing the third under cloak of darkness. Slowly, as if awakening from a deep slumber, a single dim light turned on above the lone figure, making it much easier for the observers to appraise the man standing before them. At long last, the tallest one out of the three cleared his throat.<p>

"You are the mercenary we hired, correct?" said one of the men in the shadows, his heavy accent curling some of the letters oddly. He was looking the mercenary up and down, a faint frown on his face. At the angle the tallest man was at, the mercenary only had half a face, and his eye was focused on the two standing to his side.

The mercenary nodded once, and his visible eye closed.

"What an interesting accent you have," the mercenary said. "It seems as though you've spent some time in Russia, Mexico, and the United States. Am I right?"

"Perhaps," the man said carefully. "Then it is safe to assume that you are the man we hired, and not some undercover officer?"

"If I was an officer, do you honestly think I'd tell you?" the mercenary asked lazily. "With the fact that you've hired someone to kill for you assumedly recorded on some sort of tape, don't you think I'd do my best not to reveal myself?"

"Unless you are simply using these words to confuse me," the man retaliated. "After all, you could not be just an average Jonathan from the streets to have fooled us for so long. Deception is part of your nature, is it not?"

The shortest man of the three spoke up suddenly, chuckling a bit.

"It's just an average _Joe_, Mr. B, not _Johnathan_. Besides, he's the real deal. Take a look at that gun and tell me exactly where any cop would get his hands on equipment like that."

"Of course, Mr. J. It was just precaution," Mr. B said, giving his friend a tight smile.

The mercenary had no doubt that little conversation had just been to introduce themselves to him. Obviously, the one called Mr. B had not lived in America for very long; otherwise he'd have been more in tune with the one of the country's most commonly used idioms. Mr. J on the other hand was pure American; he didn't even have a slight twinge in his accent that would have let the mercenary know if Mr. J was from Alabama, New York, Texas, or Florida. His voice, unlike Mr. B's, didn't give him completely away completely and immediately.

"The job is to be completed tonight, correct?" the mercenary asked, clasping his hands behind his back. Of course it was. But it was best to make sure the clients didn't get scared and back out at the last minute. He had no patience for those who couldn't handle a murder, especially when they were orchestrating it.

"Yes, it is. A relatively simple job as well," Mr. B said. "Just go in, make the man feel true sorrow and terror, I'm sure you'll find a way to do _that_, and then wipe him from existence. You already have his name and address, no?"

"Yes, almost everything is already in place," the mercenary replied. "Except, of course…"

"The money," the American replied. He pushed a suitcase with the tip of his foot and the mercenary heard it slide across the floor. The mercenary picked it up, not bothering to open it up to see if everything was there. That was an armature's mistake and it usually upset the costumers. If he had a problem, the mercenary would come again to "complain" to his clients about a discrepancy in payment.

The mercenary was set to go. Only one more thing…

"Anything you want me to tell him?" Some clients liked having the last word, after all.

The American thought about it for a moment.

"No," he said finally. "You, Mr. B?"

"Of course not," Mr. B said. "His death will send a clear enough message on its own."

The mercenary nodded. "You each have an alibi in place, correct?" At their nod, the mercenary continued. "Then there is no more to discuss."

Without their say, the mercenary left. His own alibi that he was just settling in to town and was home alone wouldn't cause any problems. There was tape of him entering his rented apartment and the tapes hadn't recorded him walking out, so there was nothing to fear. Besides, the mercenary hadn't committed any major crimes that would link up his name with this murder. He had a clean record, so to speak.

The mercenary walked through the deserted streets, turning in an alley.

Although he was against pointless destruction, the man didn't mind his work. In fact, the hunt always gave him an adrenaline rush.

Life was for the strong, to be lived by the strong, and, if need be, taken by the strong. The weak of the world were put on it to give the strong pleasure.

The mercenary was strong. And the hunt gave the mercenary a lot of pleasure. So what if that didn't make him entirely sane? Being sane was what the weak clung onto for comfort. The weak couldn't handle an insane man.

The mercenary smiled grimly beneath his mask, pulling out a little black knife and prying open a small space between a dumpster and the wall. He placed the suitcase into the small hideaway and quickly sealed it shut. He left a moment later.

The night was still young after all, and he had a lot of work to do.


	2. Chapter 1: Slade

**Chapter 1: Slade**

_August 22_

_Approx. 22:00 hours_

* * *

><p>Jumping from roof to roof, Robin felt like he was flying.<p>

It was an average Monday night. Generally, crooks loved to commit crimes on Monday nights, when everyone was tired and unprepared for the rest of the week. It even made sense to the heroes why Monday nights had a lot more crime then all the other days of the week, barring Friday night after work ended.

The sun had set several hours ago, but Robin's work had just begun.

The teen was patrolling Jump city, just as he did every night of the week with all of his friends. Together, they called themselves the Teen Titans. They were a spectacular group of people, if Robin did say so himself.

Strong, smart, and always ready and willing to protect those who couldn't protect themselves, the Teen Titans had started guarding the city from the great many villains that called it home only a few months ago. To Robin, it felt like a life time. Already, the regular villains were getting antsy about committing evils, in fear of those five pests with powers who would come raining down on their parade should they get careless.

Unfortunately, those were just the regular crooks, the regular humans who just had a gun and a major attitude problem. There were freaks of nature (and Robin used the words as an endearment, he really did, seeing how all of his friends were freaks of nature) who used their powers for evil.

There was Control Freak, for one. An average idiot with a not-so-average TV remote that let him animate technology and enter television shows at will. How he got the remote in the first place was never found out, and Robin had chosen to assume that it had been stolen from some brilliant, undiscovered, and probably dead man who was snuffed out and pick pocketed before he could show the world his new invention. It was a shame, too; that invention could be quite fun in the right hands.

Blackfire was Starfire's sister. She had all the powers her sister had; the ability to shoot beams of energy from her hands, super strength, and the ability to fly, like most of the people on their planet did. But unlike kind, caring Starfire, Blackfire was a ruthless evil witch who wanted revenge against her sister for existing to threaten her right to the crown.

Soto, thank every god in existence, was long gone. He had tried to kidnap Beast Boy for his ability to shape shift into any animal, which had amused the alien. Only when a talking green dog had come in and tricked the alien had Beast Boy been freed. It had been a very bizarre day, to say the least, and Robin tried as hard as he could to forget it.

Fixit, despite what Robin said to everyone, was the one that really freaked him out the most. Cyborg said that the lunatic had tried to turn him into a perfect machine, and something about that bothered Robin much more than every other wacko they faced. First of all, how exactly had he been able to bring Cyborg so close to being a complete machine? Could he be able to do that to anyone, making them his personal slaves? And how could he be able to tell a human, a conscious mind, that he was going to get rid of it because it was imperfect? Although he didn't show it, Robin could tell that Cyborg thought along the same lines Robin did.

How could someone stomach turning someone into something they didn't want against their will?

Robin could have thought about the topic for hours, but he was distracted from his musings by a small gleam to his right. Robin turned his head fully and noticed there was a figure perched on a ventilation system of a nearby building, precariously balancing on the edge. If he lost his balance, he'd fall into the open fan below and be ripped to pieces.

Instead of pushing off to leap onto the next building, Robin slid on the roof, waiting until he was steady before he took a running start and pushed off to cross the street without falling on the passersby below.

Robin landed on the building next to the man's with a slight stumble and continued moving, panting slightly as the force of the impact traveled through the bottom of his feet and into his legs. Another leap and he was only a few feet from the man, who still hasn't seen him.

"And who might you be?"

Well, the guy hadn't _seen _him, but he had sure sensed Robin was there. The Boy Wonder didn't relax his defensive position. Something about this guy rubbed Robin the wrong way. Was it his posture, dangling himself over a fan that could tear him apart if he lost his balance like he was a kid hanging off of a tree? The monotonous, almost soothing tones in which he spoke, despite the fact that any normal person would have been at least slightly nervous in the position the man was in? The fact that he was in full body armor and had no distinguishing features?

"Get off of there and leave."

The man said nothing.

"I'm not kidding; I don't care who you think you are, you need to leave."

The man turned around then, sitting crisscross on the ledge. Should he lean forward, he'd fall into the giant fan.

"Slade," the man said, narrowing his one eye. "And of course, you're Robin."

"If you know who I am, then you know what I can do." Robin said, preparing himself for a fight. "Now, get down from there. Don't make me ask again."

Slade seemed to contemplate Robin's request before uncrossing his legs and letting them dangle over the fan.

"Fine, stay up there. But if you fall in, you're not gonna be a fan of what happens next."

Robin turned to leave, deciding that he would be much more useful patrolling the city than trying to get some nut job to listen to him. If he fell in, Robin wouldn't be the one doing his guts off the fan; that much was certain.

Only a few steps before he was about to jump to the next roof to continue his patrol, his senses went into overdrive and he pushed himself into a powerful back flip, narrowly dodging Slade's fist as he punched a hole in the roof.

"What the hell?" Robin grunted, aiming a kick at Slade's unprotected midsection. It was blocked and Robin was thrown towards the giant fan. He stopped himself before he hit the wall and pulled out three small, red disks.

Slade contemplated him for a moment. Robin couldn't see it, but his one eye gleamed as he finally said,

"You aren't incompetent. I was concerned that the media had overestimated your abilities."

"What are you talking about?" Robin asked, "You think the press makes that stuff up?"

"It wouldn't be the first time," Slade said, standing back from Robin, who was eyeing his wearily.

"Why else would I let them get a picture of me, then? It's not so they could post it and have every criminal come after me as a result; they use it to get people to think twice before doing something wrong. They give vengeance a face and all that garbage."

"What I was doing was merely seeing if I was right about something," Slade said. "And I was. Though your personality leaves much to be desired…"

"Go die in a car fire, you asshole!" Robin said, turning around. This time, a fist connected with his back and Robin hit the wall before he even heard Slade move. He rolled over and glared up at the man, who was fixing his glove.

"Perhaps someone needs to teach you some of the finer points of fighting, child," Slade said calmly. "Such as, above all else, _how to keep from losing control of yourself in a fight._"

Despite having his entire face covered by a mask, the man managed to seem condescending and it made Robin's blood boil.

"What, and _you'll_ teach me?" Robin asked.

"Yes," Slade said simply, his eye narrowing, analyzing Robin's reaction.

Robin laughed.

"_You_?" he said, grinning. "What can _you_ teach me that I don't already know? In case you forgot, I was trained by the guy who practically wrote the how-to to fighting."

Slade looked down at the teen coolly before standing up abruptly and walking towards the edge of the building. He stepped up onto the ledge.

"Hey, Slade," Robin called, hoping the man wasn't about to do something stupid. "What are you doing?" The last thing he needed was to watch some guy kill himself in the process of trying to impress Robin.

Slade didn't turn around. He looked down at the alleyway underneath him.

He then pulled out a gun and shot himself in the face.

Robin threw himself up and over the ledge. He was about halfway down when he realized there was no body for him to catch.

Thinking quickly, he grabbed his grappling hook shooter and aimed it at the ledge. It caught, and Robin prepared himself for the jolt from the rope catching him. He steadied himself on the building.

"Perhaps-"

Robin jolted as he heard Slade's voice coming from all sides, ringing loud and clear in his ears.

"Perhaps it's time to find a new book."

Somehow, Robin realized that this Slade guy was still alive. He shot himself in the face, and there had been a real bullet, Robin had seen the blood splatter and heard the casing of the bullet fall. But he was alive. And fuck it if he hadn't killed himself in the process of trying to impress Robin.

The teen hit the button that reeled in the grappling hook, pulling himself up with it. Before he reached the top, the hook slipped and Robin fell again. This time, he was able to grab onto a window sill and climb his way to the top.

"What the hell just happened?" Robin asked himself, finding himself both impressed and more than a little freaked out by the display he had just witnessed. "Who _is_ this guy?"

Perhaps a blood sample would shed some light on things. Slade _had_ shed a lot of it when he was shot, and after he figured out who Slade was, Robin would be able to read him like a book.

"I bet that asshole never thought of cleaning every drop of blood he spilt when he _shot himself in the face_."

Although Robin looked for the better part of an hour, there was no blood to be found.


	3. Chapter 2: Murder

**Chapter 2: Murder**

_August 23_

_Approx. 02:00 hours_

* * *

><p>Beast Boy awoke far too early to answer the phone with much more than a lazy,<p>

"Ti-an To-er, -east Boy speaking."

"Excuse me?" a man on the other end asked.

"Titan Tower, Beast Boy speaking," he repeated, this time without the yawn.

"Beast Boy, this is Police Chief Michael Diamond. Put Robin on the phone, it's an emergency."

Beast Boy nodded and turned away from the phone. Suddenly, there was a green lion where Beast Boy stood only a second ago, and it let out a tremendous roar. A lion's roar could be heard almost five miles away, and it was much manlier than a rooster was any day. Quickly, the whole team was in the living room, wondering how they were going to fight off a renegade lion.

Seeing that it was only Beast Boy, Robin grabbed the phone sitting on the stand and spoke into it.

"Ah yes, Robin. By any chance, do you have a large cat in your living quarters? I could have sworn I heard-"

"It was just Beast Boy, Chief," Robin said. "What do you need?"

The Chief sighed deeply.

"There's been a murder," he said. "Downtown, near the apartment complexes. The wires have all been cut. No one's seen or heard anything. We've got a few family members here, but they haven't been interrogated properly yet. We could really use your team down here; several of them are on the verge of panic attacks."

"I understand, Chief, keep them calm and remind them of their rights so nothing is pinned on you," Robin said. "_I'll _be over shortly."

After a moment of hesitation, the Chief said, "Understood, Robin."

There was a click and Robin set the phone down.

"I'm going to the police station," Robin said, frowning. He knew that his team would go with him if he asked, that they wouldn't complain or mouth off, that they could possibly help him in the work he was about to do, but he also knew that he didn't want to expose them to anything that could hurt them, and he knew that even though they were Titans, they were also teenagers. They had been through so much in the short time the team had been together, but Robin couldn't help but try to keep them protected from this type of crime fighting. They didn't need to see or hear anything about murder, and if it was too much for them, it could throw them off in the middle of a fight and get someone hurt. He needed them strong to take out the criminals he couldn't handle by himself, so he'd protect them from this. End of story.

"Did… somethin' happen?" Cyborg asked, rubbing his eye and trying to stifle a yawn.

"Yeah," Robin said gruffly. "The Chief wants to see me. I'll take care of it. You guys go back to sleep."

* * *

><p>It took a while to convince his team that he didn't need any help with this, and even when he had finally gotten them to let him go by himself, they remained worried and refused to go back to sleep.<p>

Robin entered the station and headed directly to where the Chief was standing. The Chief was a middle aged man, balding a bit on the top but still cultivated a healthy mustache. His brown eyes were intense. Robin immediately saw the blood on his cuffs, but didn't mention it.

"Ah, Robin," the Chief said, walking over to meet the Titan, "thank you for coming."

The two shook hands.

"No problem, Chief," Robin said. "I should probably get briefed in a private room, if that's okay."

The Chief waved him back behind the desk and through the doors. He led Robin through the hallway, stopping at the third door to the right, the one usually reserved for meetings like this.

The two entered, and the Chief locked the door behind them. It was obvious to Robin that this information was delicate.

"Where to start," the Chief said, more to himself then to Robin.

"How about the time you found him, Chief," Robin said. "How old was the body?"

"Only several hours old; it was beginning to show signs of rigor mortis," the Chief said.

Robin nodded. "Who was the victim?"

The Chief shook his head in wonder. "We've only just found out. His name was Phineas Drake, age forty-three. He lived in apartment A-23 on Sherdon Street. He had a fifteen year old daughter, Lexa Drake. Goes to school at Jump High."

"What happened to him?" Robin asked.

"Murdered- violently. Looks like it took an hour or two, judging from the blood loss and how many of his fingers and toes were found everywhere. The killers were obviously insane, or at least twisted. It looks like they forced him to castrate himself before he was killed, judging by the angle."

"Sure it wasn't some sort of masochistic suicide?" Robin asked.

The Chief shook his head.

"Then who were his enemies?"

The Chief actually laughed at that one, and Robin frowned.

"Who weren't his enemies?" the Chief asked. "This is the guy who was causing so much trouble in the courts a few months back. Phineas Drake was the scientist who dissected infant cadavers. He was looking for a way to transplant their organs into live children. Maybe someone didn't like the thought of him cutting up their dead kid and bumped him off?"

Robin took a seat.

"If I remember correctly," he said, "Drake was evicted from several community events because of his behavior towards the government officials running it, as well as openly searching for members of the city's legislature to heckle."

The Chief nodded.

"He's also had a few jobs from the mob done," The Chief said. "Got a few loans, completed a few jobs. Not strictly illegal, but not pretty either."

"So… he's got gangs, scientists, and politicians out for his blood. And all three have resources available to commit the crime, too," Robin said.

"And anyone against his policies, to boot," The Chief added.

Robin ran a hand through his hair.

"Have you seen anyone suspicious recently, Robin?" The Chief asked suddenly. "I know your team patrols the city at night. Maybe this is easier than we think."

Robin thought for a moment, his mind instantly coming up with that asshole he had dealt with earlier. He could mention Slade, but it was doubtful that it would get them anywhere. Robin didn't even know what the guy looked like, or even if his name really was Slade. No point in throwing a wrench in things; he could look into Slade himself later if it was necessary.

"I don't think so, Chief. No one overly suspicious, anyway," he said, turning away. "I'll ask everyone else later. Anything else you need to tell me?"

"This case might get dangerous," the Chief warned. "This guy had a reputation of crossing the line whenever it suited him. It's doubtful whatever friends he had were candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize."

Robin let out a grim laugh.

"I'll keep that in mind. Anything else?"

"No, that's all for now," Chief said. "What do you want to do first?"

"Let me talk to the family," Robin replied.

* * *

><p>"I don't get why he doesn't want us to come with him, man! We're part of the team too," Beast Boy said, frowning slightly as he dug through the fridge.<p>

"Yeah, it's bullshit," Cyborg said, not looking away from his video game, his fingers tapping the controller with a bit too much force.

"I am certain that Robin has his reasons for doing this," Starfire said.

"Yeah, bad ones," Beast Boy said, pulling out a tub of ice cream and joining the rest of the team on the couch.

"Whatever it is the Chief needs him for, it's obvious Robin doesn't want us around for it," Cyborg said. "I mean, how many times has he told us to let him go alone to the station? I don't even think the Chief can pick us out in a line up since he's only actually seen Robin."

"I don't think he'd have any problems picking us out in a line up, Cyborg," Raven said, turning a page of her book. "If you haven't noticed, we sort of stand out from the crowd."

"I _know_ that, Raven," Cyborg said tersely, glaring at her, one of his robotic arms twitching. Raven's eye caught the motion.

"I apologize," she said to Cyborg, trying to convey as much emotion as she could without losing control of her powers.

"I just wish he'd let us come with us, is all," Cyborg said, sighing and sitting back in his seat. On the screen, his character died, and Cyborg threw the remote away in disgust.

"Whatever the reason he has for going alone, I am sure it is not because he does not trust or value us," Starfire said. "Robin is a kind, caring person and I don't think he—"

"Doesn't change the fact that he's out there and we're in here, Star," Beast Boy said, taking a bite of his sandwich.

They were all silent for a moment.

"What do you think, friend Raven?" Starfire asked, floating over to sit next to her friend.

"I think," Raven said, "that Robin chose to go to a police station at two in the morning without us for a reason."

"What, that we couldn't handle it?" Cyborg asked, standing, his fists clenched. "That's not for him to decide! He can't treat us like this, not when we've been a team for all this time!"

"We fight just as hard as he does!" Beast Boy said angrily.

"Going to the police station isn't the same as taking down some big shot who thinks he should rule the world," Raven said.

Starfire nodded. "I do not think Robin was summoned because of his skills in fighting crime, friend Beast Boy."

"Well we still could have helped him!" Beast Boy said. "It's not like we're stupid or anything! We still could have helped!"

Raven shrugged and went back to her book.

Cyborg watched her for a moment.

"You don't think we can handle it either, do you?" he asked.

Raven looked up and met Cyborg's eyes, and after a moment he turned away, nodding slowly.

"Well, come on!" Beast Boy yelled. "You don't think we can handle a murder, fine, but what makes you think Robin can? You know something, Raven, so say it! Enlighten us!"

The lights in the Tower flickered once— twice— and went out, cloaking the Titans in darkness. All four stood immediately, ready to defend themselves if they were attacked.

"We've got to check the fuse box," Cyborg said, leading the Titans down a hallway.

Beast Boy twitched nervously. "And exactly where is it?"

"The basement," Raven answered.

Beast Boy gulped audibly.

"Maybe it's just a normal power outage?" he said, standing a little closer to Raven.

"It is not raining, friend Beast Boy."

"We didn't pay the bill and they shut us off?" Beast Boy said.

"The city pays for our power," Raven said.

"Faulty wiring?" he tried, his voice no more than a squeak.

"Watch it, I designed and wired this tower myself," Cyborg said.

"Your point being?" Beast Boy deadpanned.

"Why you little—"

"Stop," Raven said, and the boys stopped bickering immediately. Raven glanced around, her eyes sharp, looking for something. "I sensed someone, for a second. Very close to us."

The four stood in silence. Nothing moved, nothing made a sound. Beast Boy turned into a wolf and sniffed the air.

The wolf cocked its head to the side and whined before scenting the air again.

"What is it?" Starfire asked, lifting her hand to light the hall.

Beast Boy turned human again. "It smells like Robin, but something's off about him. He's different somehow. But I think he's in his room."

"Why would Robin cut the power?" Starfire asked.

"I don't know, but let's go find out," Cyborg growled. "I'm sick of him keeping us in the dark."

Cyborg paused for a moment. Beast Boy let out a quiet, nervous laugh.

"Fuck, you know what I mean," Cyborg said.

The four made their way down the hallway and turned the corner to the staircase that would take them to Robin's room.

Suddenly, an intense white light hit all of the Titans square in the face, blinding them. In a second, Raven and Starfire were thrown hard into the wall behind them. Beast Boy flew down the corridor and Cyborg landed next to Raven, panting, eyes watering, darting back and forth, trying to find the intruder. But their attacker had vanished.

"Titans, regroup!" Raven hissed, and immediately she was surrounded by her teammates. She put up a shield around them. "Did anyone see who attacked us?"

"No, Cyborg said, frowning deeply.

"I do not think that is Robin," Starfire said, rubbing her stomach softly where the attacker had kicked her.

"We gotta catch this lunatic," Beast Boy said, turning into the wolf again.

"You have the scent, right?" Cyborg asked. The wolf sniffed the air and nodded.

"Titans, go!" Cybord barked.

The shield dropped and Beast Boy ran up two flights of stairs to the floor where Robin's room was.

Without hesitating, he ran passed it and down the opposite stair case until he made his way back to the living room, the other Titans following close behind him. They were just in time to see the elevator announce that it had just opened on the floor above them. The wolf growled and turned around, heading back up the staircase.

The wolf stopped briefly, sniffing the air, before shaking its head and continuing back up the staircase, back to the floor where Robin's room was.

This time, the wolf ran into Robin's room, its door now open, and stopped at a broken window.

"Damn it!" Cyborg said. "He got away!"

"Which means the security system was taken down, too; the alarms failed to go off when the window broke," Raven said, checking her communicator. "He took out our T-communicators as well."

Beast Boy turned human and checked his own.

"Yeah! The light's not on!" he agreed, shoving it back into his pocket as Starfire closed the shutter of the window. The Titans turned around and closed Robin's door on their way out, heading down the staircase.

Raven's eyes widened as if she had heard something.

"He's still here!" she hissed and in seconds, she had led the team back into Robin's room, which was still empty.

"You're delusional," Beast Boy said.

Raven shook her head. "No you idiot, I felt him, he's not hiding anymore."

Beast Boy turned to snap back at her, but his eyes rested firmly above her head. The team turned, and a shadowy figure stepped out from behind them, his voice barely controlling his rage.

"Where's Robin?" he growled.

It was Batman.


	4. Chapter 3: Excuses and Interrogations

**Chapter 3: Excuses and **Interrogations  
><strong>**

_August 23_

_Approx. 02:30 hours_

* * *

><p>The four Titans sat on the couch while Batman stood over them, scowling.<p>

Silence hung over them all.

"Explain," the Batman said, finally breaking the silence, "exactly why Robin is not here with you."

Beast Boy opened his mouth, but Cyborg beat him to it.

"Robin went to the police station," he said, frowning. "He didn't want us to come."

Batman eyed him for a moment.

"And you just let him go?" he growled.

"We respect our leader's wishes if they aren't detrimental to his health," Raven replied.

"Letting him run off to solve a murder seems rather detrimental to his health, doesn't it?" Batman asked her sharply.

"Kettle, you've finally met pot," Beast Boy muttered.

Batman's head whipped to face Beast Boy, rage coursing through him, gathering itself, ready to break the insolent little brat who dared imply—

But Batman didn't say anything. Beast Boy stared at him, arms crossed, looking very unimpressed to be looking up at one of the most hailed heroes in the world. All of Robin's team was looking rather unimpressed, actually. There was no fear, no awe, nothing akin to respect on their faces…

"Robin told you about me, I presume." That would make things much harder.

"Funny thing, actually," Cyborg said, glaring.

"Robin has never said a word against you. He has never so much as spoken your name," Starfire said softly. "We understand what that means."

* * *

><p>Robin looked up from the clipboard that held all of the first relative's information on it. "Are you Mrs. Talia Drake, currently living in Gotham?" he asked, setting it down so he could better connect with Phineas Drake's ex-wife.<p>

"I am Ms. Talia Reed, thank you very much," she said, nodding stiffly. "I get nothing but grief whenever I associate myself with that vile man."

"I apologize for the mistake, ma'am," Robin said. "Could you perhaps give me a reason someone might want to do this horrible thing to your former husband?"

Ms. Reed sniffed, pushing a brown lock of hair out of her face. "I could give you a list a mile long," she replied. "He was an awful husband, a heartless scientist, and a detestable human being. You can see why I couldn't stay with him."

"Of course, Ms. Reed, I understand," Robin said, nodding.

"Yes, I imagined you would," she said.

Ms. Reed promptly burst into tears.

"And I loved him despite it all!" she wailed.

"_What?_" Robin said, completely bewildered at her sudden _personality_ _shift_.

"He betrayed me, hurt me, treated me like dirt," she sobbed, tears streaming down her face, "and I loved that incorrigible wretch despite it all!"

Robin felt a headache coming on.

* * *

><p>Batman stared at the four teens in front of him.<p>

"This is not how a team works," Batman said, gesturing at the four teenagers in front of him. "If you understood anything, you would understand that a team does not let one of its own handle something like this without backup."

"Listen dude," Beast Boy said, fed up with his idol, "we don't need this. Chances are we're gonna have to fight some overpowered bad guy tomorrow and we really need to sleep. If you wanna tell us something, don't bring Robin into this and act like he can't handle himself; we all know he can. Just tell us to our faces."

"Fine," Batman snarled. "Fine."

"Let's hear it then," Beast Boy said, "give it your best shot."

"You are incompetent and unworthy of my ward," Batman said. "Because of you he is shirking off in his training, losing his edge, and putting himself in danger by trusting children who cannot protect him and will eventually fail him."

"We are not unworthy of Robin," Beast Boy said, "And newsflash, Batsy: Robin doesn't exactly need protecting."

"You are weak in all the ways Robin is strong, and in the ways that you are strong Robin is even stronger. You are clumsy, destructive fools; your treatment of your own home is evidence to as much. You are keeping him from his true potential."

"We aren't keeping him from anything, _he chose_ to be here, just like the rest of us!" Cyborg yelled.

"You are naïve," Batman said, his voice raising. "You are not ready to face death and violence with the analytical eye required to solve crime, and because of that my ward carries the burden of murder alone and suffers in silence. He feels he cannot share and find comfort in you because he wishes to protect you, to spare your innocence, and someday, he will grow to resent you for it."

"Robin thinks the same, but unlike you, he feels it is the right choice and refuses to let us help him," Raven said, eyes narrowing at the man in front of her, who was now pacing. "And as much as I hate to say it, if he continues on like this, the only one he'll grow to resent is himself."

"He is your leader, your most valuable team member, and because of that you should protect him however you can. You stepped back because he told you to, and you are weak for doing it. I cannot let my ward live like this any longer; you are going to get him killed!"

Starfire, who had been quietly taking the abuse thrown at her team all this time, spoke up.

"You are worried about him."

Batman froze, his eyes focusing sharply on the redhead.

"_What?_" he whispered, eyes narrowing.

Starfire stood and faced Batman. She put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"You are worried about him, and so are we," Starfire said. "We are all worried for Robin, because Robin refuses to let any of us help him. It is alright to be worried."

Starfire's grip tightened. "It is not alright to abuse us because you worry."

* * *

><p>"So he was your brother, correct?" Robin asked, looking up at the graying, middle aged man in front of him.<p>

Lucas Drake nodded, grimacing. "That idiot was my brother."

Robin nodded. "Do you know about anything that could have prompted this attack on your brother, Mr. Drake?"

Lucas snorted. "It was his own damn fault he ended up like this. He was always fucking around with the wrong people, my brother. Never paid off all his debts. Pissed off all the wrong people. I'm surprised the son of a bitch lasted as long as he did, frankly."

"Could you give me any names, Mr. Drake?" Robin asked. "Anyone in particular who seemed a little more adamant in their hatred of your brother?"

Drake nodded. "The gangs really had it out for him. Phin called me enough times, drunk out of his goddamn mind to cry about it. The Allies were all out for his blood, the BBP in particular. He never had the money to pay them back, and his debt to them just kept racking up. I think near the end, they were completely supporting his research. My brother wasn't producing anything for them, hadn't for about half a year. I'm guessing the gangs just got tired of him."

"And exactly who are the Allies?" Robin asked. He wasn't very familiar with street gangs these days, not when there were bigger, more dangerous fish to fry.

Drake shrugged. "It's not like anyone actually knows," he said. "Rumor has it that three or four gangs have banned together, formed a coalition, and when they all do business with other gangs they call themselves the Allies. The only one that I know is part of it is the BBP, because of my brother."

Robin took note. He would have to look into this; gangs were always a problem in cities, but the fact that three or four had banned together was alarming.

"Anything else you'd like to tell me?"

Drake nodded. "Don't think he only had problems with the gangs, son; they were just some of his most recent dealings. Before them were the politicians, and before _them _were other scientists, and they both had more of a reason to hate my brother than some gangs looking to collect what's due to them. Everyone hated my brother. Everyone."

Drake deflated after he said his piece, sitting back into his chair and leaning heavily onto one of the armrests.

"I hope you catch your man, Robin. Don't call me when you do. I don't want to hear about this anymore."

"If that's what you want, I'll tell the Chief."

Drake nodded. "And my mother doesn't know about anything my brother did. Could you keep it that way?"

"Will do, sir," Robin said.

Drake sighed, thanked him, and left.

* * *

><p>Batman swatted Starfire's hand away.<p>

"Regardless, nothing changes the fact of this situation," Batman said, voice cold. "And the fact is, despite being surrounded by all of you, he has never been more alone in his life."

Raven's temper slipped and the windows surrounding them exploded into a thousand tiny pieces of glass. Shards flew everywhere burying themselves deeply into the couches and chairs, but the shield Raven put up blocked the Titans from the glass. Batman's armor protected him from getting cut, and the fact that Raven's shield hadn't extended to protect him said more about the Titan's opinion of him than anything they could have thrown at him.

The room was dead quiet.

Bruce suddenly felt bad for being here, for putting these kids in the situation he did, but Robin was more important than his friends (_than_ _his_ _happiness_, a voice whispered in his head, but he determinedly ignored it) and he couldn't afford to trust these children with his ward's life. Batman couldn't afford to lose Robin, he just couldn't, and that was that.

The Titans were glaring, and Batman knew he had failed to scare them away from his ward. There was no reason for him to stay any longer.

The Titans watched, still angry, as Batman suddenly turned on his heel and was walking towards the shattered windows. He broke into a run, and the Titans watched, jaws slack, as he pushed off the building, flipping gracefully before falling out of sight. The four ran to the roof, but already, Batman had vanished.

"How does he do that?" Beast Boy whispered something akin to awe in his eyes. Cyborg shook his head slowly and went to sit back down on the couch. The lights flickered back on and shutters covered the broken windows.

Starfire spoke first. "It saddens me that Robin's guardian thinks so little of us."

"Yeah, it saddens everyone," Raven said. "He's a real jerk."

"A really cool jerk though," Beast Boy said a little wistfully. "You think he would have given me his autograph if I asked?"

"Shut up, Beast Boy," Raven said testily.

* * *

><p>"And those are all the names you can give me?" Robin asked. Phineas Drake's Aunt nodded, her sloppy gray bun bouncing up and down.<p>

"He wrote to me often about his troubles with the local politicians," she said, smiling fondly. "I know his research often got him into trouble, but he was trying to save lives! I just don't understand how anyone could forget that. Those dogs in Gotham ran him out of town, and it wouldn't surprise me if the people here were about to do the same thing! No one understood my nephew, no one but me!"

"We'll get to the bottom of this, ma'am, I promise you," Robin said, giving her a sympathetic smile.

"I would hope so, Robin," she said sternly, "my nephew was very dear to me."

Robin's mind jumped to Phineas Drake's daughter.

"Yes, I heard that you had left everything to him in your will," Robin said. "What will you do with it now? Your sister told me it was a… considerable sum."

"I…I'm not sure yet," she said, looking uncomfortable. "I know that he had a daughter, but I've never even met—"

"Maybe you should look into that," Robin said. "Get to know her. I've heard she's a wonderful girl and she would sure be able to use it. Lexa Drake has had a very hard life and deserves a break."

"I'll… I'll think about that very hard," the Aunt assured Robin. He could accept that, for now.

"Make sure you do."

The Aunt gave him an unsure smile, and he escorted her out of the room. The Chief was standing at the door, waiting for him.

"What do you think so far?" he asked. Robin shook his head.

"Too early to tell," Robin said. "I think that if it was a gang member, the death would have been quicker and messier than it was. From what I know, it takes an expert in human autonomy to avoid the main arteries and draw out the torture the way it was done to Drake. While it's possible that a gang could have someone with this intelligence, I highly doubt it. Gangs tend to kill people with their own men, since they don't really trust anyone outside the family, and I find it hard to believe that anyone who has a mastery of surgery like that would need to be in a gang to survive. A politician might have had the money to pay someone to do it and a scientist might have the skills and knowledge to do it. And, although it is the most unlikely, a civilian or someone unconnected to Drake entirely could have easily committed the murder as well. I'd like to talk to his daughter, see if she knows anything about what happened."

The Chief nodded, but he looked troubled.

"What is it, Chief?" Robin asked.

"She's in a right state, Robin. Her father was just brutally murdered in the room next to her. She slept through it."

Robin winced. "I'll be gentle, Chief. Send her in."

"Okay," the Chief said. "Also, you have a visitor who seemed very anxious to speak to you. He's waiting just outside."

"Is it a member of my team?" Robin asked quickly, worried that one of them had decided to come after all. He had been right to keep them away; Phineas Drake was brutalized and he still had to look over the body and question the most delicate victim.

"No, he's not a Titan," the Chief said and Robin exhaled, relieved. "He told me to tell you that there was an Italian man holding a hedgehog outside his home last Monday."

Robin, for a few seconds, stood there, shocked silent by the Chief's words. Anger quickly overtook him.

"You tell him I'm busy working and I'll talk to him when I'm done," Robin practically snarled. "Don't let him back here, Chief. I'll meet him out front."

The Chief nodded, taken aback by Robin's outburst. "Please calm down, Robin; I can't let you talk to Lexa until you do. I can't expose her to anything more menacing than a hot potato right now; it'll send her into shock. So I need you to calm down, and I'll send the girl in."

"Yes, I- yes, I'm sorry," Robin said, taking a deep breath.

The Chief stared hard at Robin for a long moment. Internally, Robin winced, regretting his outburst as the Chief judged if he could trust Robin to do the job right. It was so hard to convince adults that he was a serious player despite his impeccable resume, and it hurt that the Chief was so quick to turn on him.

_'He's right to judge me; that was a disgusting display, especially in the middle of something as sensitive as this.'_

Abruptly, the Chief turned around. "I'll bring her in as long as you remain calm."

"I was calm," Robin muttered darkly as the Chief walked away.

The Boy Wonder closed the door and leaned heavily on it.

"God damn it, Bruce, you pick the worst moments to interfere in my life," Robin whispered, a gloved hand rubbing his temple before sliding down his cheek and pressing over his mouth. He let it drop, sighing deeply before composing himself.

There was a knock at the door. Robin opened it, smiling wearily at Lexa Drake, who looked like she was trying very hard not to cry. Her unbrushed light brown hair swept over her face whenever she moved her head, and her hands clenched and unclenched as she looked from Robin to the floor and back again.

"Hello, Lexa," Robin said softly, giving her a shaky smile. The teenager's eyes finally landed on Robin's face.

"Hi, Robin," she said softly, entering the room on unstable legs. Robin caught her when she stumbled and helped her to one of the chairs in the room, before he sat down next to her. Reaching out, he gently grasped one of her hands.

"I'm sorry that you're going through what you are," he said. "You seem like a great girl: smart, beautiful, kind… you don't deserve this."

Lexa was watching him, eyes wide, breath shaky, her hand trembling uncontrollably in Robin's own.

"The report said he screamed his vocal chords raw," she choked out, tears falling rapidly. "He screamed for hours and I didn't even wake up!"

"If you finished the report," Robin said quietly, turning to face Lexa fully, "it said that you had been drugged heavily beforehand."

Lexa nodded slightly, her free hand moving up to cover her mouth.

"I'm s-sorry," she sobbed, "I'm really sorry. I'm trying to keep it in, but I just…_can't_. I th-thought I hated him for a while, I really did. He was a real asshole. Always mad, always in my b-business… but he was my dad, you know?"

Robin thought long and hard about Bruce, waiting for him out in the lobby.

"Yeah…I know," he said softly, slowly. "_I know._"

* * *

><p>Sorry if anyone seemed out of character it's been a long time since I've written anything for this story and I'm trying to remind myself how these damn characters react to things.<p>

I'd like to make a preemptive strike against anyone who thought Batman was the biggest asshole ever and out of character by saying that he loves Robin more than anyone (fuck it if he doesn't I am making it so he does) and will go to any length to keep him safe, even if it means making Robin unhappy. In this story, Bruce is much more selfish (and I'd like to think that makes him more realistic) and while he recognizes that what he said to the Titans is wrong, his desire to protect his ward is real and what he said isn't completely incorrect, though it was callous and unnecessarily cruel. All of the Titans experienced tragedy (Robin's and Beast Boy's origin stories are really similar) but Robin had Batman after, who trained him rigorously for years. He exposed Robin to Gotham's worst, and that matured Robin in ways that the other Titan's haven't experienced yet. Robin is also the only true human on the team, and Batman fears that the immature team (he doesn't know their personalities, only that they have powers and tragic pasts) will mess something up and cost their only human team mate his life. Not actually true, but Bruce's feelings are pretty jumbled at the moment.

I'd like to think that in scenes without Robin, Beast Boy talks a lot of shit and gets things out in the open, Cyborg and Raven offer more logic, and Starfire tries to understand the root of the problem and attempts to empathize, comfort, and placate everyone.

Again, sorry for being out of character.


	5. Chapter 4: De Brevitate Vitae

**Chapter 4: ****De Brevitate Vitae**

_August 23_

_Approx. 04:00 hours_

* * *

><p>Lexa stared at Robin for a moment. "I've always wanted to meet you," she said, one hand tapping nervously on her thigh.<p>

"I'm flattered," Robin replied, deciding to let her lead the conversation for a while. If she could tell him everything he needed to know on her own, it would be a lot less traumatic for her later on.

Lexa sniffed, grabbing for a tissue. She wiped her eyes and nose and crumbled the tissue in her fist.

"I always pictured you as smart and handsome and about a thousand other things," she said. "I even had a crush on you, before I met Sam."

"Your boyfriend, I presume?" Robin asked. Lexa shook her head.

"I-I was going to tell him," she whispered, clutching Robin's hand harder, "when the time was right. But he was always so busy and angry and I just… I couldn't do it. I couldn't risk him not taking it well and throwing all his anger at me!"

Robin clasped both of his hands around her's, trying to keep her calm however he could. He could work with being a former crush, he really could. Being someone who made her happy was something he could use if he needed to.

"And then I keep thinking about what happened tonight," Lexa said. "How I slept through everything. And the funny thing was, I _didn't _sleep through everything."

"_What?_" Robin asked softly. _That _piece of information hadn't been in the report… Lexa turned her head to face the Boy Wonder.

"I woke up when the killer came in," Lexa said, her voice shaking. "I saw him."

"What did he look like?" Robin breathed, hardly daring to believe that she had actually seen someone.

"I heard something move outside and I woke up," Lexa said, "I didn't get up, but I used my phone as a light and looked around and the guy was standing in the corner of my bedroom and I-I-I-"

The girl was panting, shaking uncontrollably, her eyes darting back and forth madly. Robin knelt down next to her chair, trying desperately to get her to focus on him.

"Lexa! Lexa, I need you to breathe, you're having a panic attack, come on! Synch your breathing with mine," Robin said, inhaling and exhaling slowly, letting the girl copy him. Slowly, she calmed herself down, regained control.

"He-he came at me really fast, but I got a glimpse of him," Lexa said, and in that moment Robin truly appreciated how hard the girl was pushing herself to tell him what she saw, no matter how much it hurt her, and he respected her for it. "He had really dark hair, it was probably black, and his eyes were red. He had on glasses, I think."

"Anything else about him that you remember?" Robin asked.

"Yes," she said. "As he was…d-drugging me…he was singing something. Something weird; I think it was Latin…"

Well, that wasn't very helpful. Lexa seemed to realize it, and she concentrated.

"Something about life being brief and death coming quickly… that's all I understood."

"You know some Latin?" Robin asked, impressed. Lexa blushed.

"Yo hablo Español," Lexa said, smiling a little.

"Muy bien," Robin replied, smiling with her.

The girls stopped smiling, tears coming to her eyes again.

"That's all that happened. I woke up and I walked outside to get some water because my head was killing me and…"

"And he was there," Robin said.

"He was everywhere," Lexa said shakily.

Well_… That _was pretty fucked up.

"Lexa, please don't be upset with me, but I need to know if anyone had ever shown a special interest in your father. Can you remember if anyone ever visited him, and if those visits ever became… volatile?" Robin asked.

"No one ever came to our house yelling," she said. "There was a lot of whispering though. I never found out what they were all conspiring about. I'd answer the door, they'd ask to see dad, and I'd let them in and give them something to drink. They were very polite to me. Not so much to dad."

"What were their names, Lexa?"

"There was Alfred Jones and his twin… Matthew something… I don't really remember, but he was Alfred's assistant. They had been separated at birth or something weird like that; Matthew told me that. They both visited my dad two or three times. Once, they brought someone else with them, but he didn't look too interested in being there. I think he had other business with the brothers."

Robin nodded slowly. The only Alfred Jones he knew of was the Head of Jump's Judicial Department.

"Thank you for telling me, Lexa," Robin said. "I know this was hard, but you've helped us a lot. If there's anything I can do for you…"

Robin pulled out a card with a phone number on it.

"This number will connect whoever is calling me to my private cell one time. After that, my phone will stop connecting with this number. Please use it only in an extreme emergency," Robin said.

Lexa stared at Robin, mouth agape, looking from his face to the card and back again.

"I'm moving back to Gotham, with my mom," she said suddenly. "I'll be Lexa Reed soon. If I call… how will you get there on time?"

Robin looked at her, brows knotting together.

"I'll get there," he promised her.

Lexa let out a shaky laugh. "I don't believe I got _the _Robin's phone number and I can't even brag about it to those assholes at school."

Robin smiled a little. There were a thousand things he could have said to her about telling anyone. Someone could sell it and make a fortune. Someone could prank call him and distract him from saving lives. Someone could use it to track him down and kill him. "Please don't lose it," he said instead.

"I won't," she stated, and Robin believed her. She jolted suddenly. "The guy said the song was called _De Brevitate Vitae_. On the Shortness of Life."

Robin blinked. "I'll look into it, see if it means anything."

He stood, and Lexa copied him. "Thank you for your time, Lexa. I'm very grateful that you've been so brave tonight. I'm very sorry for your loss."

Lexa thanked him, but didn't move to leave.

"Would you like me to escort you out?" Robin asked. He understood if she didn't want to be alone at the moment, he really did. He had practically clung to Bruce for _weeks_ after—

"I heard you yelling before I came in," she said quietly. "I wanted to know if you were okay."

Robin's breath hitched irregularly. Shit, she had heard his outburst. Fuck, he could have sent her into shock or made her faint or—

Guilt washed over him. "I'm sorry you heard that," he said. "My… a friend… he just showed up at the worst time, ya know? He's pretty… hard to deal with sometimes. He criticizes me a lot."

"My dad did that too," Lexa said, her own breath hitching. She wiped her eyes. "Do you have a pen?"

Robin pulled one out of his utility belt, along with a small pad of paper. Lexa Drake took it from him and scribbled something down. She handed back to Robin, blushing slightly. Robin took it from her and looked at it.

"My phone number," she mumbled, "in case you ever need _my_ help. I'm practically an expert in dysfunctional relationships, after all."

Robin felt a genuine grin ghost across his face.

"Don't make it a habit of calling me, though," she said a little louder. "It's for emergencies only."

Robin put the pad and pen back in their pockets.

"I'll remember that," he said. Lexa nodded.

"If you're going to talk to whoever is out there now, you should go someplace public, like a dinner. It'll keep him on his best behavior. Well, it might, anyways," Lexa said.

Robin nodded. "Know any places open this late?" he asked.

"Feliciano's has some good Italian food," Lexa said. "It's not too far from here, actually."

Robin looked at Lexa for a while, thinking over her suggestion. "That sounds great," he said, pulling her into a hug. The girl made a surprised noise, but she quickly hugged back, her whole body shaking. Robin pulled away.

Lexa was crying, but she was smiling brightly. "You've been so nice to me. I don't know how I could ever thank you enough."

"You don't have to thank me," Robin said. "You've been a real help."

Lexa gave him one last watery smile before turning and leaving the room. As she left, the smile on Robin's face turned sour. He waited a few minutes, steeling himself for the inevitable conversation with Bruce, before following her out. He handed the Chief the notes he took and thanked him for his time.

"I'm sorry for doubting you," the Chief said, and Robin looked up at him, surprised. "You handled her far better than anyone else here could have. She walked out smiling."

"You had every right to doubt me," Robin said seriously. "I apologize for my outburst."

"It's forgotten, Robin," the Chief said. "Though I'd hurry on out there if I were you. Mr. Wayne was looking a little impatient last time I checked."

Robin frowned. "I'll go talk to him now," he said, turning to leave.

"Robin," the Chief called, and the Boy Wonder turned around.

"Yes, Chief?" Robin asked.

"You did a good job in there tonight. Don't forget that. You make this city mighty proud, son," the Chief said, looking him square in the eye despite Robin's mask. Robin was humbled by the man's honest words.

"Thank you, Chief," he said, "I take what I do very seriously."

"I know, Robin. I know."

* * *

><p>Bruce Wayne grinned and stood from his seat next to two drunk teenagers to meet Robin. He was dressed in a suite, looking as immaculate as he always did. Robin noticed his guardian had light bags under his eyes, but chose not to comment on them. Bruce never got enough sleep and it wasn't likely that would ever change. The two met and shook hands in the middle of the station.<p>

"Mr. Wayne, it's a pleasure to see you again," Robin said, forcing a smile. It wouldn't do him any good if anyone saw him as anything other than polite to the kind-hearted billionaire. "Although I can't say I expected you of all people this late at night."

"It's good to see you again too, Robin. And Please, call me Bruce," he said, smiling slightly. Robin resisted rolling his eyes at his guardian. "There was actually something I'd like to talk to you about, Robin. Do you mind if we…"

Bruce gestured towards the door, and Robin reluctantly followed him out. Once outside, Bruce's pleasant demeanor dropped.

"What do you want now, Bruce?" Robin asked, sounding tired. "I'm busy, if you haven't noticed."

"We need to talk," Bruce said, frowning slightly.

"And this isn't something that could have happened over the phone?" Robin asked, stifling a yawn. "Or maybe with that state of the art, face-to-face audio/video transmission system we both have?"

Bruce rolled his eyes. "Why don't you change into something a bit more comfortable and we'll get a bite to eat somewhere?"

Robin mulled it over a bit, but in the end decided that wasn't the best idea. "How about you suit up and we get something to eat instead?" he asked. "We'd have to go back to the tower otherwise; I don't have anything on me."

"Fine," Bruce said, nodding his head at a cherry red Bugatti (it was probably a Bugatti, anyway, Robin wasn't completely sure), "I'll change on the way. Where are we going?"

"Someone told me there was a good Italian joint not too far from here," Robin said, following Bruce to the car.

The two got in and the car sped away.

* * *

><p>Ok several things:<p>

1. Everything that Robin and Lexa talked about is important fuckers

2. If you recognized any names, I don't own them

3. I'm trying to build up a plot and to do that I need some shit to happen… my made up characters don't have a huge role or anything, I just need them for the plot rn

4. Could I maybe get some feedback just to gauge if I should change anything? That would be pretty cool


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